Business Planning

Welcome Back, If an entrepreneurial bug has you business planning, brainstorming, and chomping at the bit, you'll appreciate a few tips on starting your own business. All great small business opportunities start with a great business idea, but It can't stop there.
Smart Business Planning.

Have you ever wondered why its "OK" for the small business failure rate to be around 95% after 5 years? And if you think that stats a bunch of bunk, I invite you to site some credible resource that shows different, I've looked. Business planning has to be on the short list of common reasons small business start ups fail. Traditional business planning many times points to core business processes. Accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and cash flow are the targets of the traditional business planner.
Business planning: An Alternative Approach.

Creating forecasts and sales targets, while widely accepted and quite useful no doubt, leave a bit to be desired given the failure rate of people starting their own business. If you have a great business idea and your ready to start your own business, here are a few more tips that I've learned and find useful.

* Is your idea built off an existing idea or market?
* How will you fund your business?
* How can you start your business with 50% less funds that planned now?
* What significant differences does your business MODEL have?
* Which weighs more on your expecting success, the business model or the business idea?
* Why will you business surpass ridiculously unfavorable odds of success?
* Do you have a genuine love for the idea you intend transform into a business?
* Does you business have to "look" successful, how much will this cost?
* Can you form partnerships with existing businesses that are related but not competitors?
* Can you provide product or service to an audience in another state or nation?
* Is your idea scalable? Will it work with 5 customers and 5,000 customers?
* What is the impact of growth on profitability?
* Is the business idea one that can innovate an grow into other "related markets"?
* Is automation a key element in your idea? What is your function as the entrepreneur?

The Best Small Business Start Ups.

In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins talks about what you can be "the best in the world at". What is that your business idea will be the best in the world at? One of the things to consider when business planning is to understand your niche. Many people starting a small business are finding that a niche that used to be considered to small because of geographical restrictions is now a top small business idea to start. The Internet as a means of connecting with customers around the globe is a major contributor to the micro-niche trend. Whats your micro niche?

SEO For Small Business

Small business entrepreneurs using the Internet to market their small business products or services have a new SEO course provided by none other than Goggle itself....

Before you download or take a look at the course, I'll tell you it is not a definitive guide. But it will get you started in the right direction. If you have a free SEO course (Tell How Much if Not Free!) or newsletter, would you please let us know by providing a link in the comments section. Comments on this and our other blogs should be "DO FOLLOW"... I will also be adding other courses as they come to my attention.
Free Seo Courses For Small Business

If your a small business owner who is looking into the possibilities and advantages and trying to compare the expense and risk of doing business online, it gives a good idea of what is involved in maintaining a successful website for small business online. The free seo course can be downloaded at the bottom of this post. We also invite readers to post other course they offer in the comments.
Online Business Course

If your an entrepreneur who already has a website it might not offer anything new, but it may offer validation that your going about it right. The course is current and that is valuable in and of itself. With so many free website builders and SEO friendly blogging platforms available to small business owners its tough to really know what is the best way to approach SEO.

I like to say the proof is in the pudding. I don't think it makes sense but I know what it means....

In the case of proof in small business online, we are talking about sales. From the Search Optimization perspective were are talking traffic. If you getting traffic, your doing something right. If your not, but have content that is original on your website or small business blog, then success may be a few tweaks away.

We offer a Search optimised website package you can learn more by visit our affordable SEO solution for small business page. Look at the top of the site and go to "SEO"

Bright ideas

Menudo; oatmeal; french fries. Toast with honey; ginger ale; Coca Cola. Scrambled eggs; bananas; grated fresh ginger in congee.

If your stomach just did a flip-flop, it's probably a good thing you're not suffering from a hangover. But if you should find yourself in that situation this holiday season, reach for one: Each is thought to be a surefire cure.

As alcohol sales spike, hangover remedies (and prevention) may come in handy for many New Year's tipplers. Here are five things to keep in mind before you've had one too many - or after.

1. Use caution: If you're having a holiday party, designate a bartender who can keep an eye on how much everyone is drinking and avoid over-serving guests, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States recommends. Providing food and nonalcoholic options for party goers also is a good idea.

2. Try an ounce of prevention: Eating almonds or peanut butter before drinking is thought to prevent intoxication, according to Health911.com. The site also advises that evening primrose oil and prickly-pear cactus extract help prevent hangovers.

3. Slow down: Some say "coating" your stomach helps before and after. "Have an appetizer that includes dipping good bread into olive oil," recommends Dale DeGroff, author of The Essential Cocktail: the Art of Mixing Perfect Drinks. "I learned this from my Italian grandfather. Olive oil coats the stomach and (the oil and bread) slow down the progress of the alcohol from the stomach to the bloodstream, where it rushes to the brain . . . That is when the problems begin."

4. Don't count on the Joe: It's a myth that coffee will help sober you up. Caffeine may help with drowsiness, but it doesn't counteract the effects of alcohol on decision-making and coordination, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Water is good, but time is what you need to metabolize alcohol. Give yourself a while to return to normal (and learn your lesson about peppermint-schnapps shots).

5. Try a sure cure: Want to be free of these problems entirely? DeGroff, the master mixologist, has this to say: "Two sure-proof ways to avoid a hangover: 1. Don't stop drinking. 2. Don't start drinking."